Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt decided to take on IRS scammers Thursday after he received a phone call from someone claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service who was threatening to file a lawsuit against him, according to a written statement from the Sheriff’s office.
The Sheriff called the number back and a female answered the phone by saying “Internal Revenue Service,” he said.
Sheriff Schmidt asked the person on the other end of the call if there might be a way to verify that he was actually calling the IRS.
The woman on the other end of the call responded, “it is not our job to verify who we are” and they hung up, the Sheriff said.
So, the Sheriff called the number back again. This time a male answered. Below is a transcript of the second call.
Scammer: “Thank you for calling the Internal Revenue Service, how may I help you?”
Sheriff: “I am the Sheriff in Dodge County Wisconsin, and I had a complaint about this number and I am trying to
confirm that this is in fact the IRS. Is there a way that you can confirm this for me?”
Scammer: “No sir, this is not the IRS. This is a scam”
Sheriff: “This is a scam?”
Scammer: “Yes”
Sheriff: “OK, can you tell me where you are from? Where you are located?”
Scammer: “In Afghanistan”
Sheriff: “In Afghanistan?”
Scammer: “Yes”
Sheriff: “Can you tell me your name?”
Scammer: “Malma Dahli (Spelling?)
Sheriff: “Why are you scamming our citizens?”
Scammer: “This is our job sir”
Sheriff: “You’re stealing money from people”
Scammer: “Yes”
Sheriff: “And why are you doing that?
***At this time the scammer hangs up on the Sheriff***
According to the Sheriff’s Office, these scams are very difficult to investigate because it’s difficult to find the people responsible.
“The phone numbers used are usually spoofed and untraceable by law enforcement. It also seems to be that many of these calls are placed from outside of the United States and out of the jurisdiction of our law enforcement agencies,” Sheriff Schmidt said.
The IRS will not call you demanding money and most reputable businesses and organizations will notify you of delinquent payments or problems with your account via correspondence by mail. If in doubt, please contact your local law enforcement agency for assistance and never give out money over the phone or using a prepaid money card. If you have been victimized, please report it, Sheriff Schmidt added.
